RANCHO CUCAMONGA >> He may not have metamorphosed into a gourmet chef, but after slugging it out on a cooking show, one Rancho Cucamonga contestant has conquered his culinary fears.

The ironically named Adam Cooke, 31, is one of the 16 contestants to watch in the return of prime-time series “Worst Cooks in America” at 9 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 1, on the Food Network.

In a boot camp designed to transform kitchen fiascos into fabulous feasts, Food Network personalities Anne Burrell and Rachael Ray each mentor a team of clueless cooks.

Initially, the rookies must re-create their biggest flops — during which chefs Burrell and Ray will critique their skills.

Then, follow the 16 neophytes from their first challenge, cooking shrimp and live lobster, through an egg-citing breakfast competition and eventually preparation of holiday-themed dishes for Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day.

At the season’s finale, 9 p.m. March 5, the last two standing, most-improved cooks go tine to tong with a three-course meal for a panel of judges. No spoilers here, but only one will take home the $25,000 prize.

Cooke is sworn to silence except about his improvements.

A mechanic and father of two children, Cooke boasts a little about his homemade macaroni and cheese. He said he’s come a long way from the days of burning hamburgers and steaks on the grill and making undercooked lasagna.

“I wanted to learn to cook to relieve stress on my wife,” he said. “I’ve picked up a few things. She hasn’t complained as much.”

Laurie Lucas started at The Press-Enterprise in 1981 in the human interest section called Sidelight. Since then she has written mostly features but also detoured into municipal meetings, covering Eastvale, Moreno Valley, Perris, Canyon Lake and Lake Elsinore. After a couple of years as a business reporter, she returned in 2014 to features. She now writes mostly profiles, arts and entertainment stories, dining profiles and a weekly Foodie Empire column. She would love to be a musician, singer dancer, artist, author or scratch cook. But because she’s not, she enjoys a vicarious thrill writing about other people’s talents.

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